Effective and reliable communications between and among team members working in a hostile environment are critical components of safe and effective operations. Whether the team members are firefighters, police, military or other workers whose jobs requires performance in dangerous situations, all such workers benefit when they are able to rely on reliable communications systems. The performance and efficiency of the team also is improved when team members are in full communication.
Individuals working in hostile or dangerous environments, particularly in situations where there is an immediate danger to life or health, generally wear some kind of protective gear. In the case of firefighters, the protective gear often includes full or partial face masks that assist with breathing in smoke or gas-filled environments. While there are many known types of face masks, a typical mask includes a cup-shaped main body that is made of a pliable, air impermeable material, such as rubber. The main body is coupled to a source of fresh air, oxygen-rich breathing mixture, or mechanical filtration mechanism to scrub the harmful environmental air of toxins such as poisonous gas. The mask is placed over the fireman's face and mouth before entering a dangerous environment.
While the mask provides a necessary measure of safety for the fireman, since it covers the individual's face and mouth, it typically causes diminished or disturbed communication between individual wearers of such masks. As individuals who wear such safety equipment know, face masks often diminish communication to the point where communication between the users is not possible. This is especially true in difficult environments, such as burning structures, where such masks must be worn. The mask seal, while acting to block out infiltration of harmful gas, also invariably suppresses voice communication. Even in a quiet environment, an individual speaking while wearing a full face mask cannot be heard clearly by someone else standing near by. Moreover, the environment where these masks are used is typically an environment with the sound of mechanical apparatus, people shouting, weapons being fired, fire hose streams hitting walls and other loud sounds.
Ironically, while a face mask is a mandatory part of safety equipment, it at the same time may diminish worker safety by inhibiting communication among workers.
Various communications systems have been devised to overcome the difficulties just noted. One type of system incorporates a microphone on the interior of the face mask. However, an electrical connector such as a wire penetrates the body of the mask through a small opening. Even if these openings can be sealed adequately when the mask is new, they often leak as the mask ages or wears with use.
Another well known prior art communication device includes a microphone that attaches to a speaker mounted on the body or attaches to long range radios such as radios operating on a VHF frequency. While both have their uses, the primary need of persons wearing full face masks is communication with other team members also wearing full face masks in the immediate vicinity.
There is a substantial need, therefore, for improved systems and apparatus that allow for reliable communications between such team members.
The present invention is a short range, wireless communications system that provides for reliable and effective communications between team-members in a working group, avoiding use of long range broadcast frequencies and thus alleviating radio traffic on those frequencies that are needed by other workers.